How to Sharpen Wüsthof Knives: Handheld Sharpener, Whetstone and Bread Knife

Short answer: current Wüsthof knives are sharpened to about 14° per side, so use a sharpener or stone angle close to that (older Wüsthofs were closer to 20°). A Wüsthof handheld sharpener is the quick way, a whetstone gives the best edge, and a serrated bread knife needs a thin ceramic rod instead of either.

Even the best quality knives lose their sharpness and cutting power over time due to continuous use. In addition, it can be quite frustrating and inconvenient, especially when you want to prepare a nice meal for your family or guests.

In this article, you will learn how to sharpen Wüsthof knives in two simple ways, and how to deal with the bread knife.

Firstly, you should understand that honing is not the same as sharpening. While honing is simply sustaining knife edges, sharpening requires shedding steel off your knife to produce a new sharp edge.

How to Sharpen Wusthof Knives Using Wusthof Sharpener

Wusthof sharpeners are effective and efficient. To use the Wusthof knife sharpener, follow these simple steps:

1. Position the sharpener on a flat, dry surface and hold its handle down firmly with your other hand so it can’t slide.
2. Hold the Wüsthof knife in your dominant hand with the blade straight up and down, not tilted, and set the heel of the edge into the slot.
3. If the knife is really dull, pull it through the coarse slot 3 to 5 times, from heel to tip, with light pressure and a steady speed. Pull only toward you; don’t saw back and forth.
4. Finish with a few pulls through the fine (ceramic) slot. For a knife that is only a little dull, the fine slot alone is enough. Wipe the blade to remove the metal dust.
5. On a Classic with a full bolster, a slot can’t reach the last bit of edge next to the bolster. Over the years that leaves a dip at the heel; a professional sharpener can grind the bolster down to fix it.

How to Use Wusthof Whetstone

Another method that gives the best results is a whetstone, Wüsthof’s own or any good water stone. A whetstone is a flat block of abrasive grit; a combination stone with about 1000 grit on one side and 3000 to 6000 on the other covers most knives.

Below-listed are the steps to follow to use the whetstone.

1. Soak the whetstone in water until it stops releasing air bubbles, usually about 10 minutes. Splash-and-go stones only need water on the surface; check the stone’s instructions.
2. Remove from water and place on a sturdy surface for stability.
3. Start on the coarse (1000) side. Run one side of the knife, to and fro, across the whetstone, working from heel to tip in sections. Keep the stone wet the whole time.
4. Make sure you are swiping your knife at the right angle, as merely running it to and fro will damage the knife. According to Wusthof Cutting Academy, current Wüsthof knives have an edge of about 14° per side, so hold the blade at roughly that angle. Color the edge with a marker first: if the stone removes the ink right down to the edge, your angle is right. Keep sharpening one side until you can feel a small burr along the whole opposite side.
5. Do the same for the other side until the burr flips back, then repeat both sides on the fine stone with lighter pressure. A few edge-trailing strokes on leather or newspaper remove what is left of the burr.
6. Rinse and dry the knife when done, and let the stone air dry before you put it away.

How to Sharpen a Wüsthof Bread Knife

Wüsthof bread knives have serrated edges (the Classic has a double serrated edge, the Gourmet a concave wavy one), and the slots in most handheld sharpeners will flatten the points. They also need sharpening far less often than straight knives, because the points do the cutting and the scallops between them stay sharp.

1. Find the beveled side of the edge (one side is ground, the other is flat).
2. Pick a tapered ceramic rod that fits the scallops. Lay it in one scallop at the same angle as the bevel and pull it through a few times, then move to the next scallop.
3. When you’re done, lay the flat side on a fine stone or the rod and make one or two very light passes to remove the burr.
4. If that sounds like too much work, a professional sharpener with serrated equipment can do it for little cost every few years.

If you are still choosing between the two big German brands, see my ZWILLING vs WÜSTHOF comparison, or the Wüsthof knives review for which line to buy.

Conclusion

There you have it! Without a doubt, the easiest two ways to sharpen your Wusthof. With regular sharpening, proper use, and regular cleaning, you can be sure that your Wusthof knives will last a long time. Ideally, if you regularly hone your knives, you do not need to sharpen more than once or twice a year.

Lastly, here’s a quick tip: There are basic tests to run your blade through to determine whether or not your knife is sharp. Examples include the Paper test and the tomato test; I go through all of them in how to tell if your knife is sharp enough.